YuGiCrow: The Remake
by GearsX
Summary: A remake of my first story. AU. Yugi Muto and his grandfather, Solomon, were murdered by a mysterious assailant. A year later, the dark forces of the Crow brings Yugi back from the dead as Yami Yugi for a journey of vengeance.
1. Awaken

Yu-Gi-Crow

By GearsX

Disclaimer: The Crow is owned by James O'Barr. YuGiOh is owned by Kazuki Takahashi and Shonen Jump.

Author's note: A long time ago, I've written a story that pretty much started my time on this site. That story was called YuGiCrow. I've written that story because I was going through a tough time in my life and when I uploaded it, everyone seemed to liked the story. Looking back on it, the story was slapped together and rushed. So I decided to go back and remake the story. Like the recent Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th movies, this story will ignore the previous series. This will be darker and more violent. Let's begin this story.

Chapter 1:

Awaken

Thunder clapped loudly in the sky above Domino City, lightning briefly illuminating the night as a relentless rain poured down on the city. Below, unlucky pedestrians scurried through the streets for shelter, no different from rats in the sewers. Unbeknownst to them, a black bird silently watched them from above as it flew towards the local cemetery. What was the purpose of such a creature in heading there, though? The bird flew through a row of tombstones, closing in on two gravestones on the far end of the cemetery. It landed on the gravestone on the left, pecking at the "Y" engraved on it, said "Y" standing for Yugi Muto, who was born October 1st of 1991 - and had died on November 21st of 2009. Next to the young boy's grave was that of his grandfather, Solomon Muto, who had died on the same day.

Cocking its head upward, the crow cawed as its wings spread, as though calling out to someone. The ground near Yugi's grave started to shift, grass and dirt crumbled apart as a young man pulled himself out of his grave. He coughed as the bird tilted its head. Yugi turned around to see the bird. The crow cawed at him to follow it. Yugi followed the large shadow bird out of the cemetary and into the dark, rainy streets of Domino City. He wandered through the city but when Yugi stopped in front of the window of a pizza shop, he noticed he didn't look like himself. Yugi was a bit taller than he was while alive and his hair was longer and spikier with blonde streaks. He was dressed in a worn and tattered black suit.

"Who am I?" Yugi asked himself.

The bird cawed to Yugi to continue following it. The bird flew through the rainy skies as it spotted a shop nearby. The bird landed on the shop's sign as it pecked at the sign then cawed at Yugi to stop. He immediately recognized the place; it was the old game shop where he and his grandfather worked. When Yugi walked up to the door, it was boarded up with crime scene tape hung in an "X" shape. Not realizing his own strength, he punched a hole in the wood and unlocked the door. Yugi opened the door to see his late grandfather's shop in ruins, the glass in the display cases was shattered and Duel Monsters cards were scattered all over the floor. Seeing this destruction made Yugi collapse on his knees and cry silently. It was then he started to remember.

_It was the day Yugi moved into his grandfather's cardshop sometime after his parents had died when he was a kid. A relative dropped young Yugi off with a suitcase in hand. Solomon saw his grandson standing in front of the door, crying._

_"Yugi, my boy," Solomon greeted. "It's been a long time." He walked toward his grandson to give him a hug but Solomon saw tears in his purple eyes. "What's the matter? Why are you crying?"_

_"Mommy and daddy ... are gone, Grandpa," Yugi sobbed._

_"Oh, God, no," Solomon gasped as he hugged his grandson tightly. "It's all right, Yugi. Everything will be all right. Your parents are in a better place now."_

_Solomon did his best to fight back the tears and he didn't feel comfortable about explaining death to his own grandson, especially at the age of seven._

"Oh, Grandpa," Yugi murmured sadly as he snapped back into reality.

The bird cawed to him while it was sitting on one of the broken display cases. Yugi got up and walked to the display case where the crow was sitting as it cawed at the sliding door under the display case. He got down to one knee, opened the door, and saw a box inside. He opened up the box that made his eyes widen, inside the box was his grandfather's Blue-Eyes White Dragon card in a protective sleeve. Yugi stared at the card as another flashback played in his mind.

_"Yugi, come here," Solomon called to his grandson. "I have something to show you."_

_"What is it, Grandpa?" Yugi asked._

_Solomon presented the box in front of Yugi and opened it to reveal his prized Blue-Eyes White Dragon card._

_"Wow, is that what I think is?" Yugi asked._

_"Yes, son," Solomon replied. "It's the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, one of the rarest cards out there."_

_"Where did you get it?" Yugi asked._

_"It was given to me by an old friend of mine during an archeological dig," Solomon explained._

_"Do you plan on selling that card, Grandpa?" Yugi asked._

_"No, I treasure this card like I treasure you," Solomon stated. "One day, I'm gonna pass this card down to you but promise me you won't play it in any duels."_

_"I won't, Grandpa," Yugi said. "I'm sure it'll cost a fortune someday." _

_"It will, my boy," Solomon said before the flashback ended. "It will."_

Yugi sighed sadly. He picked up the card and hugged it closely to his chest. "This was his most prized card..."

The crow flew to the railing, cawing him to go up stairs. He nodded before getting up to follow the bird. Yugi walked to the stairs but he stepped on one spot on the floor that made him scream in pain.

"AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!" Yugi screamed, grabbing his head and collapsing to the floor in pain.

He thrashed on the floor as he felt another flashback coming. In this flashback, Solomon was closing up shop for the night when he heard a door open. A man with brown hair, piercing ice blue eyes, and dressed in purple walked into the shop.

_"Sorry, we're closing up," Solomon said._

_"I'm here to find a card," The man said coldly._

_"What kind of card are you looking for?" Solomon asked._

_"I heard you have a rare card in your possession," The man said. "A Blue-Eyes White Dragon, am I right?"_

_"Yes, I do have a card like that," Solomon said._

_"I would like to buy it off you," The customer said. _

_"I'm afraid that card isn't for sale," Solomon said._

_"Excuse me?" The customer asked. "I want to buy that card now."_

_"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Solomon said firmly. "Besides, we're closed."_

_"I'm not leaving until I get that card!" The man screamed. "Give it to me right now or I'll tear this fucking place apart to get it!"_

_"I'm calling the police!" Solomon shouted as he ran for the phone but he stopped by the customer._

_"I don't think so," The customer said._

_"Get your god damn hands off me!" Solomon shouted as the assailant grabbed him by the shirt._

_Yugi was doing his homework when he heard the commotion downstairs. Concerned, he ran out of his room to check on his grandfather. Yugi gasped when he saw Solomon's face beaten and bloodied, and the shop nearly destroyed. Although his eyes were swollen, Solomon saw Yugi standing near the end of the stairs. _

_"Grandpa, what's going on!" Yugi screamed._

_"Yugi, get the hell out of here now!" Solomon groaned._

_Before he could escape, the man pulled out a gun and shot Yugi in the chest. Yugi fell to the ground as the killer placed the gun against Solomon's head and shot him. He dropped Solomon's body to the ground as he grumbled, "This isn't even worth it." He ran out of the store, leaving Yugi for dead._

_Yugi crawled toward Solomon's dead body while leaving behind a blood trail from the bottom part of the stairs. With his last ounce of strength, he made it to his dead grandfather and took hold of his hand._

_"Grand...pa..." Yugi said_ before he succumbed to his gunshot wound and died as the painful flashback ended.

Yugi panted as he looked at his scar on his chest. "I remember now. My grandfather and I were murdered over this card. I came back to get my revenge! When I find the bastard who killed me, I'll send him straight to Hell!"

Yugi's sadness was replaced by a burning desire for vengeance. He stormed upstairs to his room with the crow following him close behind. If Yugi was going to hunt down the killer of his beloved grandfather, a change of clothing was in order. He ripped off his burial suit, set the Blue-Eyes card on his desk, opened up the closet door, pulled out a black sleeveless shirt and a pair of black studded boots. He opened up the bottom drawer of his dresser to grab some leather pants then opened up the top drawer to grab some studded wristbands, his studded collar, and his old Millennium Puzzle necklace. He quickly donned his chosen attire but there was something missing, something that would put fear into the hearts of evil men.

The crow cawed at Yugi to look in the closet again. He pushed aside a few shirts, moved some shoes out of the way, and found an old Halloween kit. Yugi grabbed the box and set it on his bed to open it. Inside the box were various face paints, a brush, and a few accessories. Yugi grabbed some white face paint, black face paint, and the brush. He went to the bathroom, set the face paints and brush on the sink, and proceeded to paint his face. He dipped his fingers into the white face paint and rubbed it all over his face except for his eyes and mouth. After washing his hands, Yugi picked up the brush and dipped it into the black face paint. He painted around his eyes then drew sharp pointy lines above and below them. Yugi dipped his brush into the black paint again and painted his lips black and added the sharp pointy lines on both sides of his mouth.

As he stared into the mirror, Yugi was no longer the sweet and kind boy he had been in life; what was left of him now was a furious shell of his former self – a monster. Yugi went back to his room, grabbed his old leather jacket from the closet to put it on. He picked up the Blue-Eyes card and slipped it into the inner pocket of his coat. The bird cawed to Yugi from its perch on the windowsill. He opened up the window and jumped out to stalk the dark streets.

Meanwhile, Tea was driving home after working the late shift at Burger World. She was tired from cooking all the burgers and fries for the customers, not to mention the male customers smacking her ass. She couldn't wait to slip into her PJs and go to bed. She pulled up into the driveway and turned off the ignition. Tea got out of her car and walked up to the door but little did she know that a prowler was lying in wait. When Tea inserted her key into the doorknob, the prowler jumped out of the shadows and held a knife to her throat.

"Scream, I'll cut you," the mugger warned. "Now, march into the house."

Tea and the mugger went into the house as he closed the door behind them. She struggled against her captor by kicking him in the crotch. Tea tried to escape but the prowler grabbed her by the arm to smack her in the face.

"You dumb bitch!" the prowler screamed.

He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to the bedroom. He tossed Tea to the bed and ripped her work shirt open to get a good look at her ample breasts while saying, "Oh, yeah. Those are nice. I can't wait to tap that ass, you sexy bitch."

"Get the fuck off m...!" Tea screamed, but the mugger clamped his hand over her mouth.

"No one's gonna help you, sweetheart," the would-be rapist said with a sadistic grin on his face.

Said would-be rapist was quite startled to feel a hand on his shoulder, but he'd figured that was his partner getting impatient. "Come on, man, I told you to wait your -" He was cut off by being suddenly spun around to face the one that had grabbed him, a young man with impossibly spiky red-tipped black hair with also impossibly spiky blond bangs, some of which stood up in his primarily black hair. More curiously, he was dressed in a form-fitting leather tank top and pants with studded boots, bracelets, belts, and collar to go with it. Even more curiously, his face was painted quite ghoulishly, completely white with black slash-like lines crossed through his eyes and mouth, the latter like a painted Glasgow smile.

"Except me, scumbag," the young man whispered coldly.

The rapist was ready to shit himself; that was how frightened he was of the interloper. "What do you want? You want her for yourself, buddy? Too bad, Mr. Freaky Goth Makeup Boy! I saw her first!"

This pathetically obvious attempt to play tough did not go past the young man, who punched him across the room with enough force to make a small dent in the wall. "I knew her first."

"I'm gonna make you take a dirt nap, motherfucker!" The rapist screamed.

"I already took one," the young man replied nonchalantly. "It wasn't very fun. Would you like to see?"

The rapist got up and waved his knife around. "I'm gonna carve you from groin to gullet!"

"Give it your best shot," the painted man sneered.

The rapist lunged at the black clad figure with his blade in hand. Tea's mysterious rescuer grabbed the criminal's knife arm by the wrist and delivered an open palm strike to the chest, sending him crashing through the window.

"Stay put, Tea," the grim figure ordered before leaving the house.

"Yugi?" Tea wondered. "Is that you?"

Outside, the rapist got up as he coughed. He turned around to see his attacker standing before him.

"You fucko, you'll pay for that," the rapist said.

"You're the one who's going to pay for attempting to rape my friend," Yami Yugi said.

The rapist's accomplice emerged from a car across the street to see what was going on. "Rick, what the fuck's goin'...who the hell is he?"

"A dead man, Maurice," Rick replied. "A fuckin' dead man."

"Is this dude the girl's boyfriend or somethin'?" Maurice asked. "He ain't hot shit, he's just another punk ass goth kid."

"Yeah, which is why I'm gonna smoke him!" Rick declared.

"Give it your best shot," Yami challenged. "I won't even try to defend myself."

Rick pulled out a gun from his pants pocket, aimed at Yugi, and shot him in the head. The impact of the shot made him stumble backwards but to Rick and Maurice's shock, he was still standing.

"What the hell?" Maurice asked shockingly. "You shot him with a hollow point and he's still standin'."

"Another shot will put him down for the count," Rick said, firing another shot into Yami Yugi's head but he was still standing.

"Ouch, that really hurt," Yugi remarked sarcastically and then pulled the bullets out of his head, allowing the bullet wounds to properly heal.

"Jesus Christ!" Maurice screamed.

"What the fuck is he!?" Rick screamed.

Yami Yugi gave the two would-be rapists an evil smirk. Maurice pulled out his gun and he and Rick fired at the one who had interfered with their crime. Yami Yugi dodged the bullets with lightning reflexes and charged up to the two men, socking Maurice in the gut and kicking Rick in the head, hard enough to send them into the ground. Yugi grabbed Rick by his coat, dragged him to his car, and opened the passenger-side door to smash his head in. He slammed the car door on Rick's head and crushed it until chunks of skull, meat, and blood were dripping down the passenger-side door. Yami Yugi walked to Maurice while he was still on the ground.

"Please, dude, have mercy," Maurice said.

"No," Yugi said coldly, curb-stomping Maurice's head in and killing him.

After the skirmish was over, the crow flew over to Yugi and landed on his shoulder. Tea ran out of her house to thank Yugi for saving her life.

"Thank you for saving my life, Yu…gi," Tea said as she looked at his painted face.

Yami Yugi didn't say a word. The shock of seeing her again caused another memory to play out in his head. A brief flashback showed Tea wearing a pink dress for an upcoming school dance.

_"How do I look, Yugi?" Tea asked before the flashback ended._

"I'm sorry," Yami Yugi said sadly before he and his bird stormed off. "I don't want you seeing me this way."

"Wait!" Tea screamed but Yugi and his guardian crow was gone. "Don't go."

Tea collapsed on her knees as she started crying.

Joey was watching an episode of South Park while eating some Burger World. Tristan came rushing into the room, sat on the couch, and changed the channel to the news.

"Hey, I was watching that!" Joey shouted.

"You have to see this, Joey," Tristan said.

A news cast was talking about the recent attack on Tea's house.

"This is John Fletcher with a special report," The news reporter said. "Just moments ago, a mysterious vigilante murdered two criminals, Richard Vetch and Maurice Myers. The lead investigator, Detective Michael Albrecht, and his team are interviewing witnesses and searching for evidence. The police theorized the two men came to Tea Gardner's house with the intent to rape her. The vigilante came out nowhere and killed them in a manner too shockingly violent to repeat at this hour."

"God damn," Joey said. "I hope Tea's ok."

"Although Richard and Maurice were found dead, the girl was unharmed," John said. "The police have just released a composite sketch of the mysterious killer."

Joey and Tristan looked at the sketch that looked eerily familiar.

"No, that can't be him," Joey gasped.

"Yugi?" Tristan asked.

"But he's dead," Joey said. "There's no way that sketch could be him."

"The vigilante stands at about 5'9" and appears to be between the ages of 18 to 25," the reporter explained. "He has black hair with magenta and blond highlights. His face is painted white with black lines and was last seen dressed in a black leather jacket, shirt, and pants. He also wore what appeared to be an inverted pyramid on a chain around his neck, and he was accompanied by a black bird. If you have any information on this vigilante, it is imperative that you contact law enforcement."

Joey shook his head in disbelief. "Yugi's alive? B-but he died a year ago, man."

"I don't believe it either, Joseph," Tristan said.

"You think we should let Mai and Serenity know?" Joey asked. "They were his friends, too."

"Yeah, I'll give them a call," Tristan replied.

Tristan grabbed his cell phone to give the girls a call about the news. Mai and Serenity were having a girl's night out at a nightclub in downtown Domino. Mai's cell phone rang as she was about to have herself a drink.

"Hello?" Mai responded when she answered her cell phone.

"Mai, this is Tristan."

"Hey, tell Joey not to worry, Serenity's safe."

"That's not what I'm calling you about. There's something you should know."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"Yugi may be alive."

Mai stopped dead in her tracks, stunned by what she'd just heard. "What?"

"Joey and I watched the news," Tristan replied. "There was a sketch of him on TV."

"How's Tea taking this?" Mai asked.

"Well, we're not sure how to talk to her about it, since . . ." Tristan paused. "Yugi, or whoever that guy was, might have saved her life . . . and her virginity."

Mai gasped slightly, but she did her best to stay calm. "You don't mean -?"

"Yeah," Tristan admitted. "At least, that's what I heard on the news."

"At least Tea isn't hurt," Mai offered.

"I'll let you go for now," Tristan said. "We'll see you two when you get back."

"All right, bye," Mai replied, closing her cell.

Serenity looked at Mai as she asked her, "What's going on, Mai?"

"Someone tried to attack Tea at her house," Mai answered.

"What!" Serenity cried out.

"Don't worry, she's fine," Mai reassured the younger girl.

"Are you sure?" Serenity asked.

"Tristan told me," Mai replied. She smirked mischievously. "And you don't think Tristan would lie, do you?" She winked upon catching Serenity's embarrassed blush.

"Uh, no, not at all!" Serenity denied frantically, blushing a slightly deeper red.

"You're really hot for him, aren't you?" Mai asked.

"Am I that obvious?" Serenity wondered.

"You wanna tear him up in bed, Serenity," Mai teased. "I can tell."

Serenity blushed even redder as images of what she and Tristan could do in bed together flurried through her mind. "Mai!"

The two women giggled about the sexy thoughts before they went back to having their drinks.

Yami Yugi stood vigil over the city with the wind whipping through his hair and his crow on his shoulder. His killer was out there somewhere, not knowing his victim had returned from the land of the dead for revenge. He was seething with barely contained rage. Yugi would not show any mercy to the man who murdered him and his grandfather. His quest for vengeance was just beginning. Domino City was about to become the home of the dark vigilante known as The Crow.

End note: This ends the first chapter of the Yu-Gi-Crow remake. I chose to remake this story because the first story didn't make much sense, there's a plot hole or two, and it just sucked. Do expect an epic level of intense violence and strong language but don't worry all you Yugi/Tea and Yami Yugi/Tea fans out there, the romance between these two will still be here. As I said before, this story will ignore all the previous stories including the Yu-Gi-Oh/Teen Titans crossover stories. Until next time, enjoy the first chapter of my dramasterpiece remake and have a Happy Halloween.


	2. Screaming For Vengeance

Yu-Gi-Crow: The Remake

By GearsX

Disclaimer: The Crow is owned by James O'Barr. Yu-Gi-Oh is owned by Kazuki Takahashi and Shonen Jump.

Author's note: Welcome to part two of my dramasterpiece remake. In this chapter, our anti-hero begins his mission of vengeance on his killer but the question is, who killed him? Expect the manhunt to be filled with intense violence and raw gore. And I should warn you all about this chapter, it will contain use of drugs and alcohol. So if you are put off by this, I suggest you turn back right now. It's gonna be much darker from here on out. Let's begin the story.

Chapter 2:

Screaming for Vengeance

Three days had passed since Yugi's resurrection from the grave, and in that time, our immortal anti-hero had kick-started his campaign of violent retribution against crime. He went after the worst kind of street criminals: robbers, drug dealers, rapists, murderers, street gangs, biker gangs. He also went after boyfriends and husbands who abused their girlfriends and wives and even killed a few pedophiles. Yami Yugi would leave behind his calling card sort of speak for the police, an outline of a crow drawn in blood, which led the media to dub him "The Crow."

Due to the nature of his rampage on violent offenders, Yugi became something of a celebrity and very popular among the goth crowd. Many youths into the gothic lifestyle had painted their faces very similarly to Yugi's and worn t-shirts that bore his sketch. To the police, however, especially one Detective Michael Albrecht, The Crow was another street criminal, not a cult hero.

Yugi didn't really mind the media's little nickname for him. In fact, he liked it so much, he decided to use the name to strike fear into criminals. Fighting crime wasn't really enough for him though. Yami knew his killer was somewhere in Domino and he wouldn't rest in peace until the killer was punished. As he was about to leave to stalk the streets, a southern voice called to him, "Hello, my warrior."

"Huh?" Yugi gasped when he turned around to see a skeleton dressed in a black duster, black cowboy boots, and a black hat with a skull cane in his hand. "Who are you?"

"I forgot my real name a long time ago," the skeleton replied. "But you can call me anything you want."

"How about Skull Cowboy?" Yami Yugi quipped.

"Skull Cowboy? I kinda like it," Skull Cowboy remarked, the name apparently agreeing with him. "Skull Cowboy it is. Now, my young warrior, I came here to educate you about your new powers."

"I already know about my powers," Yami answered. "I can't be killed by anything, I can't feel pain, and I can sense people's most painful, violent memories by touching them. That it?"

"Yes but the bird also serves as a link between the material realm and the other side," Skull Cowboy added. "If anything were to happen to the crow, your powers will be gone."

"I will be careful," Yugi stated.

"I know you will," Skull Cowboy commented. "This bird is ancient. He was the pet of a powerful and benevolent pharaoh of Egypt thousands of years ago."

"What was this pharaoh's name?" Yugi asked.

"His name was Atem," Skull Cowboy answered. "That Millennium Puzzle around your neck once belonged to him too."

"What does this Atem have to do with me?" The Crow inquired.

"You will know in time," Skull Cowboy replied.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Yami Yugi asked.

"Your grandfather sent me here to watch over you," Skull Cowboy replied. "Make sure you don't get reckless."

"Reckless? What the hell are you talking about?" Yami Yugi asked.

"Allow me to show you," Skull Cowboy said, placing his cane against Yugi's forehead and created a quick flash of light.

"What did you do to me?" Yugi asked.

"Look at your reflection in the window," Skull Cowboy said.

Yugi stared into the window and noticed the make-up on his face was gone.

"The make-up . . . it's gone," Yugi said.

"No," Skull Cowboy corrected. "I simply cast a glamour on you, to allow you to walk among the living without drawing suspicion."

"Wow," Yugi uttered breathlessly.

"I will now take my leave," Skull Cowboy said as he placed his boney hands on Yugi's shoulders. "Remember, your grandfather and I will be watching over you and your friends. Good-bye and good luck."

Skull Cowboy transformed into a black mist then disappeared.

"Thank you . . . Grandfather," Yugi said tearfully and quietly. With that, Yami Yugi jumped out of the window of his room as the crow flew toward the twilight skies.

Duke Devlin had finished his shift as a convenience store clerk for the night. He had been working that dead-end job for about two years but for a time, Duke had dreams and ambition. He wanted to create a game that would rival Duel Monsters in terms of popularity, a game he called Dungeon Dice Monsters. Duke was inspired by Dungeons and Dragons and Duel Monsters and thought it would be awesome to combine the two games into one. He spent almost a year of his life creating the game and submitting it to various companies that distributed dice and card games but he received rejection letters that said Dungeon Dice Monsters wouldn't sell in the game market.

As Duke was about to give up on his dream, he met Yugi and challenged him to Dungeon Dice Monsters. Yugi beat Duke at his own game, but he praised him for creating the next big game. Thanks to Yugi, Duke regained his confidence and was about to submit the game to Industrial Illusions, one of the biggest gaming distribution companies out there. But sadly, that happiness was short-lived.

When he got word of Yugi and Solomon's deaths, Duke became depressed. His creative drive was gone thanks to his friend's death. Because of the murders, Duke became an alcoholic and a drug addict. Every week for the past year, he spent his paycheck on booze and drugs. Yugi's friends tried to get him to rehab but he refused. They cut off contact from Duke but he didn't care.

Duke stopped at the package store and bought himself a party pack of Smirnoff then stopped at the corner to buy some heroin. He bought some baggies of the drugs and some syringes from two drug dealers and paid for them. Little did Duke knew, a crow was watching him from the telephone pole.

"Duke," Yugi murmured sorrowfully at what had become of his friend as the bird flew off.

Duke arrived at his home sometime later, placing his box of vodka on the table. He grabbed his zippo lighter and spoon from the kitchen, then sat down on the couch in the living room, poured the powerful drug into the spoon, and flicked open his zippo to light it. He cooked the heroin until it melted into a yellowish fluid. Duke set down his lighter and grabbed a syringe off the table to fill it with the cooked drug, stabbed the needle into the vein in his arm, and injected the heroin into his body.

"Oh, fuck yeah," Duke uttered in a stoned voice as he pulled the needle out of his arm. "I could use a drink."

Duke opened up the box and grabbed a bottle of Smirnoff. He cracked open the bottle and slugged the alcohol down his throat. Duke slammed the bottle on the table and was about to prep another round of heroin when he found the syringes and drugs missing.

"What the hell?" Duke exclaimed. "Where's my drugs?"

"You don't need them," a voice replied. "They're only bringing you down."

Through a drug-induced haze, Duke saw a figure holding his baggie of heroin and his syringes. "You better give me back my drugs or I'll hurt you."

"Try me," the figure replied, though Duke heard only a distorted voice that his drug-addled senses interpreted as a taunt.

Duke lunged at him but the mysterious stranger moved aside as Duke fell to the floor. "You retard, I paid good money for that dope."

"And it's killing you," the figure retorted. "Eating you alive from the inside out."

"Who the fuck are you?" Duke asked as he got up.

"Someone who remembers how much potential you still have," the figure replied.

It was then Duke realized who the dark stranger was. "Yugi? There's no way you're him. He's dead."

"Dead, yes. Still walking, though."

Duke was overwhelmed with shock. "Dude, it's nice see you again. I'm sorry but I'm feeling so wired right now."

"It's ok. I can take care of that."

Yami Yugi grabbed Duke's left arm and squeezed the heroin out of him. The heroin dripped onto the carpet as Duke said, "You're hurting me, man."

"Better than letting the drugs kill you slowly," Yugi whispered as the last few drops of heroin oozed onto the floor. "Tell me who sold the drugs to you."

"I don't know," Duke said. "My mind's kinda hazy."

"Allow me," Yugi said as he placed his hand on Duke's head.

Yugi felt a quick surge through his body. In the flashback, there were two drug dealers selling Duke the heroin. One was a green-haired kid wearing a green jacket with an insect on it, wore yellow insect themed glasses, black shorts, and green sneakers. The other dealer wore a green jacket over a tan shirt, khaki pants, and black shoes. Yugi shrugged off the flashback after removing his hand from Duke's head.

"I'm going to find those two dealers and punish them," The Crow growled murderously.

"You're going to kill them?" Duke asked.

"Maybe, maybe not," The Crow replied. "Either way, they've sold their last drugs."

Using his dark powers, Yami Yugi burned the baggie of heroin and syringes into pure ash and blew the ash away. "I know you're much better than being a drug addict and an alcoholic, Duke. Go back to achieving your dream of being a game maker. I know Dungeon Dice Monsters will be very popular, you'll see. See you around."

"Thanks, old friend," Duke said smiling as Yugi left.

In the back room of an abandoned Playstop store, Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood were counting up all the money they had collected from all the drug sales of the day. They placed the cash into a sorting machine and wrapping them with paper bands.

"How much cash you have left, Weevil?" Rex asked.

"Just a couple of thousand bucks to go," Weevil replied.

"We bring the cash over to the boss," Rex said. "Afterwards, we hit the strip joints for some fun."

"I like the way you think," Weevil said. "The girls will be crawling all over us like flies on shit."

Suddenly, a crow flew into the room and landed on a chair. Weevil and Rex stared at the bird as it cawed to them.

"Why is there a bird here?" Weevil asked.

"Um . . . uh . . . I don't know," Rex responded.

"He's here because of me," Yami Yugi said coldly as he stepped out of the shadows.

"I heard of you," Rex said. "You're the psychopath wreaking havoc in the city."

"Psychopath? He looks like a reject from KISS," Weevil scoffed. "What's the matter, Gene Simmons didn't accept your invite?"

The Crow didn't respond.

"All joking aside, time to give you a buckshot enema," Rex said as he grabbed a sawed-off shotgun and aimed at Yugi. He fired the shotgun into Yugi's head, blowing a good chunk of his face off. The Crow collapsed to the ground while a pool of blood formed around his body.

"And stay down, asshole!" Weevil shouted.

But Yugi wasn't gonna stay down. His powers reassembled his skull back into one piece. The Crow got up with his eyes glowing blood red and the mark of the crow flashed on his forehead.

"What the fuck is he! A zombie!" Rex screamed in panic.

Yugi snickered. "Am I rotting? Do I hunger for your flesh?"

"Hit him again!" Weevil ordered.

Before Rex fired another shot, The Crow snagged the gun from Rex and smacked him in the gut with the gun's butt. He aimed the shotgun at the two dealers as he said, "All the money you collected represents all the lives you destroyed. Tell me who you work for and I'll spare your lives."

"W-we work for some dude named Seto Kaiba," Rex sputtered, pure terror of this black-clad demon in his voice.

"Seto?" The Crow repeated.

"Yeah, he was selling the drugs out in the streets," Weevil added.

"Did he commit any murders last year?" The Crow asked.

"He told us he killed a kid and his granddad sometime last year," Rex replied, desperate to say anything that could save his life. "But he didn't say who they were. We weren't even there at the time."

"Now you're gonna let us go?" Weevil asked with pathetic hopefulness in his voice.

"About that?" Yugi remarked, his eyes glowing blood red again. "I lied. Your deaths will be a message to the man who murdered my grandfather and me!"

"Shit!" Rex shouted.

The Crow placed the gun behind his belt and grabbed a handful of syringes from a box on the table. "Victims, aren't we all?"

He stabbed Weevil in the chest and stomach with the syringes as Rex ran for the door. But The Crow grabbed Rex Raptor as he growled, "Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

"Lemme go, you retard!" Rex shouted.

"No," The Crow said before snapping Rex's neck, killing him instantly.

Yami Yugi dropped Rex's carcass to the floor. He pulled out a knife from his jacket pocket and sliced his right index finger open. He traced his crow outline nears the bodies of Weevil and Rex before leaving the Playstop store with his bird following him close behind. Twenty minutes later, Michael and his team were at Playstop, investigating the crime scene. Technicians were transporting the bodies out of the store, taking pictures of the crime scene, and examining the evidence.

"That sumbitch," Det. Albrecht muttered viciously. "Swear to fuckin' god, that gothic bastard's gonna be the death of me."

"That Crow character struck again, Det. Albrecht?" an officer asked as he stood next to Det. Albrecht.

"Yeah, Sgt. Corvis," Michael replied. "We've been working ourselves ragged over this case."

"And we have yet to identify The Crow killer," Sgt. Corvis added.

"My father would've rode my ass about this if he hadn't retired last year," Det. Albrecht grumbled half-wistfully.

"Well, your father was kind of a hard-ass," Sgt. Corvis remarked.

"Yeah, I hope I don't pass it down to my kids," Det. Albrecht commented. "Who were the vics?"

"Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood, sir," Sgt. Corvis replied. "They were known drug dealers. There was a warrant for their arrest for drug trafficking."

"They won't be headin' to the slam anytime soon since they are in body bags now," Michael said.

"Sooner or later, The Crow will be identified, sir," Sgt. Corvis said.

"When I found out who he really is, I'm taking him downtown," Michael said.

At a local nightclub, Seto Kaiba was watching the news about the Underwood/Raptor murders. He sucked down some whiskey as John Fletcher spoke about the death of Kaiba's two dealers.

"What a shame," Kaiba said to himself. "They were my two best dealers in this city."

Mokuba came into his brother's office. "Hey, big brother."

"Mokuba, what brings you here?" Kaiba asked.

"Just wanted to see how you were doing," Mokuba replied.

"Everything's fine, little brother," Kaiba said while smiling. "Just fine."

"You sure, big bro?" Mokuba asked. "Because you haven't been sleeping that well lately."

"You know how working late at a nightclub is," Kaiba replied.

"Uh-huh," Mokuba assented, though by his tone his older brother could tell that Mokuba didn't believe him quite as readily as he had when they were younger.

"Look, I want you to head on home to bed," Kaiba said. "I'll be there soon, all right?"

"Sure, Seto," Mokuba conceded. "Try to enjoy yourself, ok? Later." He turned around and left Kaiba's office in the nightclub.

But Seto wasn't enjoying himself. He was still haunted by the memories of the Mutos' deaths for the past year. Seto hadn't slept too well because of the nightmares he had about that tragic day. He even had a nightmare of seeing Yugi Muto staring at him in the darkness with a crow on his shoulder. An ominous warning perhaps? Seto knew The Crow was looking for him and hearing about the deaths of Rex and Weevil had him on edge.

_Maybe I shouldn't have killed the old man and his grandson after all,_ Kaiba thought, a twinge of remorse infringing on his thoughts.

_Oh, no. You were justified in killing that boy and his grandfather,_ a dark voice said to Kaiba.

"Who said that?" Kaiba asked.

_Let me show myself, my friend,_ the voice replied.

A black-cloaked man appeared out of nowhere in Kaiba's office. When he pulled back his hood and revealed his face, the man appeared to be of African descent with jagged markings below his eyes and both sides of his mouth.

"Who are you?" Kaiba asked.

"My name is Judah Earl," the dark man replied. "I've come to help you with your crow problem."

"My crow problem?" Kaiba repeated. "How do you know about that?"

"I've been watching you for some time," Judah replied. "Your two best dealers have been killed and you've spent the last year in a daze of paranoia, scared someone's gonna figure out what you did and punch your ticket. It's why you've been putting so much away, you want your little brother, the only source of light left in your life, to have a life after that dark avenger out there does you in."

"What did I do to him?" Kaiba exploded, the year's worth of repressed guilt and paranoia finally getting the better of him.

"You killed him and his grandfather over a lousy card," Judah replied stoically.

"How's that possible?" Kaiba asked, realizing from Judah's statement just who The Crow really was. "People don't come back from the dead! This is reality!"

"You're not familiar with the legend of the crow," Judah said. "It was said when a man dies a violent death, his tormented soul can't enter the afterlife. The soul is returned here to earth to resolve his torment, often in the form of a most bloody vengeance upon those responsible for his death."

"Vengeance . . . you mean Yugi Muto is back from the dead . . . and he's coming for me," Kaiba concluded, more stoically this time.

"Yes, but I'm giving you an opportunity to end his campaign of revenge," Judah offered. "Give you the power to destroy The Crow himself."

"If it keeps him from killing me . . . fine, do it," Kaiba growled.

"Very well," Judah responded. He walked toward Kaiba, placed his hands on Kaiba's head, and transferred a portion of his power into him. Judah pulled his hands back after the transference was done. "Now you have the power to destroy The Crow."

"When do I get to kill him again?" Seto asked, his veins pulsing with evil power, visible as hellish cords of dark red light shining on his skin.

"When you and he have your final confrontation," Judah replied. "To get him, you must attack his friends, especially the woman he loves."

"With pleasure," Kaiba sneered darkly.

At home, Tea watched the news about the deaths of Weevil and Rex on her television set, the news anchor John Fletcher describing how the events unfolded.

"Earlier tonight, The Crow murdered two drug dealers," John said. "Seventeen-year-old Weevil Underwood and eighteen-year-old Rex Raptor were found dead at the backroom of a closed Playstop game store. The two dealers were wanted for drug trafficking in Domino and questioning for the murders of Yugi Muto and his grandfather, Solomon Muto. The vigilante murderer left behind his calling card at the scene. This latest death might be tied to the string of violent murders over the last three days, including the deaths of rapists Richard Vetch and Maurice Myers. Now the DCPD is issuing a $200,000 reward for any information leading to The Crow's capture."

Tea shut off the TV, unable to take any more, when she heard a knock on the door. She went to the door and opened it to see Tristan standing in front of her.

"Hey, Tristan," Tea greeted her friend. "What brings you here?"

"Had to talk to you," Tristan replied. "Mind if I come in?"

"Sure," Tea answered as Tristan walked into the house.

"Have you been following the news as of late?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah, I have," Tea admitted.

"I think you should know something," Tristan said, sounding as though he was steeling himself to say something he feared would not go over that well with his friend.

"I already know what you're going to say," Tea replied, taking it out of his hands. "About Yugi."

"You do?" Tristan wondered.

"Yes. I know it was him," Tea confessed. "He was the one who saved me from those two men who tried to rape me."

"I heard about that," Tristan responded. "He killed them."

"When I saw him, he looked so sad," Tea continued. "He ran away from me before I could thank him."

"The media is making him look like a monster," Tristan said. "He's practically doing the entire city a favor by killing those scumbags and this is the thanks he gets."

"I know he's not a monster!" Tea exclaimed. "Yugi was a sweet and kind boy. The media has no right to demonize him like this!"

"It seems you care about him . . . a lot," Tristan said before he came to an epiphany. "Tea, were you in love with him when he was alive?"

Tea blushed upon hearing the question. "Well, I . . ."

"I think you were," Tristan deduced. "Remember when you and Yugi went to the school dance and you didn't have the guts to tell him how you feel?"

"Yes, I do remember," Tea replied. "I wanted to tell Yugi how much I loved him but I was too afraid that he wouldn't feel the same."

"Perhaps this is your last chance to tell him how you feel," Tristan mused aloud. "If Yugi ever comes to you again, tell him how much you love him."

"I will," Tea decided. "Thank you, Tristan."

"No problem," Tristan said, smiling. "Look, I'm gonna fly. I'll see ya later, Tea."

Tristan walked out the door, hopped on his bike, and drove on home. Tea watched Tristan drive off as a crow landed on a tree branch in the yard. She stared at the bird as it stared right back at her. Using the crow's vision, Yugi looked at Tea from the roof of another house.

"Oh, Tea . . ." Yugi murmured sadly.

The Crow yearned to be with Tea and his friends but he didn't want to put them in the path of danger. It was then Skull Cowboy appeared. "I see you care for that girl," the skeletal watcher remarked.

"Skull Cowboy," Yugi greeted. "What brings you here?"

"Kaiba is aware of you now," Skull Cowboy replied.

"But how?" The Crow asked.

"An evil sorcerer named Judah Earl has appeared," Skull Cowboy said.

"I never heard of him," The Crow protested.

"But he does know you," Skull Cowboy continued. "For the sake of your friends, you mustn't expose your identity to them. Remain in the shadows at all costs."

"I cannot be The Crow all the time," Yugi objected. "I want to see them again."

"You won't and you can't," Skull Cowboy ordered. "A man named Eric Draven nearly failed his mission because he gave in to his loneliness. It's for your own good and theirs, Yugi."

"I'll play it your way for now," Yugi conceded. "But I will not stop protecting them, and I will find a way to make it so I can be with them one last time." With that, The Crow jumped from the rooftop and disappeared into the night.

The wind whipped at Skull Cowboy's coat as he looked out into the night sky. "Foolish boy. He has no idea what he's up against."

To Be Continued . . .

End note: Chapter 2 is now finished. A new villain has entered the game and he has some big plans for our undead anti-hero. Judah Earl was the main villain from The Crow: City of Angels. In that movie, he was a drug lord responsible for the death of a mechanic and his son but in this story, he's an evil sorcerer hell bent on destroying The Crow, and he has teamed up with Seto Kaiba to make that happen. What is Judah's connection with Yami Yugi? Well, that answer will come in the near future. In the next chapter, The Crow reunites with his friends and a romance between him and Tea begins. It will be a little break from the ultraviolence and raw gore. Until next time, enjoy the second chapter of my dramasterpiece remake and have a Happy Thanksgiving.


	3. A Fated Reunion

Yu-Gi-Crow: The Remake

By GearsX

Disclaimer: The Crow is owned by James O'Barr. Yu-Gi-Oh is owned by Kazuki Takahashi and Shonen Jump.

Author's note: Here we are with chapter three of our gothic dramasterpiece. The Crow will be taking a break from his journey of vengeance for a reunion with his friends and a romance will bloom. Don't worry, violence and brutality will be abound in the next chapter but for now, let's take it easy and begin this long awaited reunion. Let's start it up, shall we?

Chapter 3:

A Fated Reunion

Yugi laid back in his bed while thinking about the horrible day his life came to an end at Kaiba's hands with Atem's bird watching him. Quick flashes of his own grandfather laying in a puddle of his own blood rampaged through his mind. It felt like Freddy Krueger was tormenting him in his nightmares. The possibility of his killer going after his friends ate away at Yami Yugi as well. Skull Cowboy forbade The Crow from having contact with Tea, Joey, Tristan, Mai, and Serenity for their own safety but he didn't care. He wanted to see them again but he was afraid they wouldn't want to see him because as far as the public was concerned, he was just a bloodthirsty psychotic vigilante, and the police thought of him in much the same way.

_'I want to see them again,'_ Yugi thought. _'I can't let Judah Earl and Kaiba harm Tea and the others.'_ Aloud, "Goddammit, I must see them again!"

Yugi knew he was defying Skull Cowboy's orders but it didn't really matter. Yami Yugi cast a quick glamour to conceal his face, walked out the door, and proceeded to find his friends with the bird flying behind him. As he walked the streets, an African-American man wearing the same attire as Skull Cowboy followed him. The Crow walked through the crowd, getting the feeling he was being followed.

He stopped to turn around only to see no one was there behind him then continued through the city. The mystery man appeared out of nowhere while letting out a small angry grunt. "Goddamn slippery punk," he muttered.

The Crow walked down the street to a crosswalk and watched a few cars go by. He pushed a button to a pedestrian crossing signal and waited for the passing cars to stop. Yugi crossed the street and was about to pass a nearby ally when a pair of hands grabbed him and pulled him in. Yami Yugi found himself pinned against the wall as the mystery man stared him down.

"What the fuck!" Yugi shouted in astonishment.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Yugi?" the man asked with a familiar Southern accent.

"Who are you?" Yugi interrogated.

"You don't recognize me, boy?" the unknown man said before summoning a skull cane and revealing his true form.

Yami's eyes bulged out of their sockets. "Skull Cowboy?"

"That's right," Skull Cowboy replied before turning back into his human form. "I'll ask you again, what are you doing?"

"Looking for my friends," Yugi said. "I want to see them again."

Skull Cowboy shook his head. "I told you, you are forbidden from seeing them."

"Why?" Yugi asked.

"Because you cannot afford to be distracted from your mission," the Skull Cowboy replied.

"I don't care," The Crow said defiantly.

"Then you are beyond my help," Skull Cowboy answered grimly, albeit with some trace of regret in his voice.

"You don't understand," The Crow said. "My grandfather may be on the other side but at least I can make sure my friends are okay, especially Tea."

"Protect them, yes, but don't get too close," Skull Cowboy warned. "If your attention is divided between your connections in this world and the debt you owe to the other side, so goes your power."

With a quick tap of his cane, Skull Cowboy disappeared into a puff of black smoke. The Crow thought about what his skeletal guide had said to him. He would put their lives in the path of danger while at the same time losing focus of his journey for justice and vengeance. Losing his crow-granted invincibility was indeed a possibility if Yami Yugi allowed his love for his friends get in the way of his hunt for Seto Kaiba and Judah Earl. Yugi faded into the shadows before his crow flew out of the alley.

Joey, Tristan, Mai, and Serenity were at Flynn's Bowling and Arcade for a night of fun. They asked Tea if she wanted to go with them but she wasn't in the mood. The two couples were throwing their bowling balls down the lane; Tristan and Mai had strikes and spares, Serenity nailed a few pins, and Joey had nothing but gutterballs. After their bowling game was done, they decided to hit the arcade. Joey challenged Mai to a game of duel monsters, Tristan inserted a couple of bucks for Terminator Salvation: The Arcade Game, and Serenity played the ticket games to win a Dark Magician Girl plushie.

Tristan held the light assault rifle to blast away at the T-600s armed with gatlin guns. After shooting the last Terminator in the game, the screen shifted to a bunch of ships firing missles. The screen was bombarded by the missles, drained every last bit of health, and ended with a game over.

"Dammit," Tristan said frustratingly as he put the light gun down.

Serenity was playing a game of Deal or No Deal. She scored pretty well with so many redemption tickets. After winning nearly two hundred tickets, she ran them through a machine and had her winnings printed on a receipt. Serenity traded her receipt for the desired Dark Magician Girl plushie.

Joey had been on the receiving end of Mai's Harpy Lady Sisters throughout the duel with spectators watching. Every monster he summoned ended up in his deck's graveyard but he had an ace in the hole that would shift the duel in his favor.

"I summon Baby Dragon to the field!" Joey exclaimed.

"Oh, please. You know that tiny lizard is no match for my Harpies and their pet dragon," Mai scoffed.

"Not if I age the little dude into a more powerful dragon! I summon Time Wizard!" Joey declared, placing the Time Wizard on his panel which made a hologram of the summoned creature pop up. The Time Wizard aged the Baby Dragon into 1000 Years Dragon while Mai's creatures aged and withered.

"You know I still have my Mirror Wall trap in play," Mai said.

"Not if I summon Jinzo," Joey rejoined, as he placed Jinzo's card on the panel and summoned the monster. "You are aware of this monster's special ability, right?

"Yeah, he takes out traps," Mai replied nonchalantly.

"Say adios to Mirror Wall, babe," Joey said as Jinzo destroyed the trap. "1000 Years Dragon, take out the Harpy Ladies and their weak-ass dragon!"

The old dragon blasted fire out of its nostrils, roasting the three harpies and their dragon into ash, giving Joey the victory.

"Hells yeah! I won!" Joey cheered. "I am so handcuffin' ya to the bed tonight, Mai."

Mai just smirked at him, as if saying, "Bring it on."

"Look what I won," Serenity said excitedly while hugging her new Dark Magician Girl plushie.

"Nice," Tristan said. "Must've had a lotta tickets to win that plushie."

"We should head on home," Mai said. "Joey wants to do things to me."

"Oh, I can't freakin' wait," Joey said with a devilish grin.

Tristan let out a stifled laugh while Serenity's face took on a tinge of pink. Joey and company left the arcade toward the exit of the bowling alley. As they walked past a small section of tables, Bandit Keith and his two boys spotted them leaving.

"Look what we got here, boys," Bandit Keith said. "It's my old punching bag and he's got a fine fox on his arm."

"Who might that be?" T-Bird asked.

"Joseph 'Joey' Wheeler," Keith sneered. "I used to smack him around all the damn time back in high school. I even beat up his little butt buddy Tristan too."

"I say you should go beat 'em up again for old times' sake," Funboy suggested.

"Yeah, that'd be a great idea," Bandit Keith agreed with a sadistic grin.

"And I think I'll have my fill of those two girls," T-Bird added, grinning just as sadistically.

The three hoodlums got up from their table and walked to Joey, Mai, Tristan, and Serenity. Keith called out, "Hey, Joey!" as they all stopped.

Joey turned around to see his former tormentor. "Keith, I was hoping to never see your ugly mug no more."

"Aw, that's rude, especially in front of the girls," Bandit Keith said sarcastically.

"Who is he?" Serenity asked.

"That's Keith Howard but everyone calls him Bandit Keith," Tristan replied. "He used to beat me and your brother up every day during high school until somebody dropped a dime on him and he got expelled."

"He's had a grudge against the two of you since then?" Mai deduced.

"Pretty much, yeah," Tristan confirmed.

"I'm glad I ran into you and Tristan here," Keith said. "If you boys wanna avoid the poundin' you rightfully deserve for what you did to me, you let me and my two friends have one helluva good time with your ladies."

"You even come near them, and you're dead!" Joey threatened.

"Let's take it out to the parking lot, little man," Keith said.

"We'll see who's little when I'm through, you asshole!" Joey answered back.

They walked out of the bowling alley and before Joey could even turn around, Keith ambushed him with a knee to the back.

"Pathetic," Keith mocked. "Tell me somethin', my blonde fox, why would you date a loser like him when you can date a real man like me?"

"A real man doesn't stab another man in the back!" Mai retorted. "You're just scared he'd kick your ass if you tried to do him in a fair fight!"

"Yeah, right. Get up, cock boy," Keith said as he grabbed Joey's hair.

"Joey!" Serenity screamed.

"I don't think so, sweetheart," T-Bird said, standing between Serenity and her brother.

"I'm gonna kick Keith's –" Tristan shouted before he was cut off by T-Bird.

"Come near him and I'll cut you," T-Bird threatened, brandishing a blade.

Bandit Keith punched Joey in the jaw then punched him again on the right side of his face. Joey's face was already black and blue while his lip and forehead was busted wide open. He clamped his hands together and gave a double axe-handle to the back of Joey's head.

"Joey!" Mai screamed.

"Leave him alone!" Serenity screamed.

"Funboy, lift him up!" Keith ordered.

Funboy picked up the injured boy by his under arms and held him tight.

"Any last words before I pound your punk ass into the pavement?" Bandit Keith asked.

"Yeah, fuck you," Joey groaned.

"No, fuck you!" Bandit Keith screamed. "Now to shut that fuckin' mouth of yours for good!"

Not too far away, The Crow watched the fight from the bird's eyes. He spent all day searching for Joey and the others, but after spotting him being attacked at the bowling alley parking lot, he had to act fast before Joey would die at the hands of Bandit Keith and his hoodlum buddies. Yami Yugi quickly headed for Flynn's Bowling and Arcade to end the fight.

Bandit Keith pulled out a switchblade, held it to Joey's throat, and said, "I'm gonna cut your tongue out and stick it up your ass, so you can taste your own shit. Your friend Tristan is next."

Before he could force his victim's mouth open, a crow flew into the parking lot. "What the hell?" Funboy asked as the bird landed on the letter F of the Flynn's sign.

"What the fuck's a crow doin' here?" T-Bird asked.

They heard a sinister laughter echoing throughout the parking lot. "Who's laughing?" Bandit Keith asked, trying to sound intimidating and not let on just how scared he was himself. "Whoever's laughin', show yourself now!"

As if on command, The Crow landed on a minivan while staring at Bandit Keith, Funboy, and T-Bird. Tristan and the girls gasped upon recognizing their old friend.

"Oh, my god," Mai said breathlessly.

"No way," Serenity added.

"Who are you, clown boy?" Bandit Keith asked.

"I'm all your nightmares rolled into one," The Crow growled. "Let my friend go now."

"Think I'm afraid of you?" Bandit Keith asked. "When I'm done with this bitch and his party pal, I'm gonna carve you up."

"Release him or I'll rip your skull and spinal cord out," The Crow threatened with a tinge of cold menace in his voice.

"What's wrong with Yugi?" Serenity asked. "He never acted this way before."

"I dunno, but I'm about to crap my pants from just looking at him," Tristan replied.

Yugi stepped off the minivan while keeping his gaze to Keith and his boys. Keith didn't seem fazed at all by the undead antihero. He ordered Funboy to drop Joey and called T-Bird to his side as Tristan dragged the beaten and injured teenager to safety.

"Get ready for a beatdown of a lifetime," Bandit Keith said.

"Let me have the first crack, boss," T-Bird said.

"Go ahead," Bandit Keith consented.

T-Bird walked up to The Crow then gestured his knife from side to side. He raised his blade over his head to stab the darkly clad warrior but he stopped T-Bird in his tracks by kicking him in the stomach. He knocked T-Bird out with a right cross to the face.

"He knocked that dude out with one punch," Tristan said. "He must've learned how to fight in the streets."

"Get 'em, Yugi!" Serenity cheered while she and Mai were holding Joey in their arms.

"Take those idiots down!" Mai shouted.

Funboy stepped up to face Yami Yugi while he pulled out a 9mm handgun from his pocket.

"Goddamn, he's got a gun!" Mai screamed.

"Yugi, back away or you'll be killed!" Serenity added.

Yami Yugi wasn't worried. He stepped forth as Funboy fired a whole clip into him. Yami Yugi absorbed the bullets into his chest without even flinching.

"No freakin' way, man!" Funboy yelled. "You were supposed to be dead from taking all those bullets."

"I'm already dead," The Crow said in a sinister tone before head-butting Funboy to the ground.

"Now it's you and me, bitch," Bandit Keith said.

Keith dropped his knife, picked up Funboy's gun, and grabbed a clip from his fallen friend's pocket. He loaded the gun as he said, "I'm gonna drop you like a sack of shit."

"Try it, I can't die," The Crow taunted.

Before Bandit Keith pulled the hammer back, Yugi punched him in the chest then smacked the gun out of his hand. Yami unleashed a flurry of punches to Bandit Keith, ending with an uppercut to the chin that had Keith spitting blood. The battered street criminal wobbled from the beating he received before The Crow knocked him out with a punch to the face.

The Crow turned his attention to his friends as he asked, "Are you guys all right?"

"Yeah, thanks to you," Tristan replied.

Excited to see Yugi again, Serenity ran to him and gave him a hug.

"Oh, my God!" Serenity cheered excitedly. "Yugi, is it really you?"

"Yeah, Serenity, it's me," Yugi confessed.

"We thought you died," Serenity said as she released him.

"I'm afraid I am dead," Yugi confirmed ruefully.

"But you can't be, you're alive!" Serenity denied.

"I'm telling you the truth," The Crow said.

"Why are you back?" Mai asked.

"I have a score to settle with my murderer, Seto Kaiba," Yami replied.

"Kaiba? You mean the most feared drug lord in the city?" Tristan asked.

"That's right, him," Yami said. "He murdered me and my grandfather over Grandpa's most beloved Duel Monsters card."

The Crow showed them the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card.

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon?" Mai uttered in shock.

"Yeah, one of the rarest cards out there," Yami stated before putting the card back in his pocket.

"He killed you and Mr. Muto over a freaking card," Tristan growled, anger rising in his chest. "I hope he pays for what he did to you both."

"We need to take my brother to the hospital," Serenity said worriedly. "He's badly hurt."

"Let me heal him," Yugi said. "Mai, get me Bandit Keith's knife."

"Sure thing," Mai said.

Mai grabbed the switchblade and gave it to Yugi. Yugi rolled up the left sleeve of his jacket, sliced his arm open with the knife and dripped some of his blood on Joey's open wounds. Yugi's Crow blood coursed through Joey to heal the bruises and injuries he sustained from Bandit Keith's beating. Joey regained consciousness after Yugi's blood did its magic.

"Huh? What happened?" Joey asked.

"You were saved, Joseph," Mai asked while she looked into his eyes and started crying.

"Mai, why are you crying?" Joey asked.

"I thought . . . I thought I was going to lose you," Mai replied, her voice quivering before she gripped him tightly, running her hands over his back and through his hair just to reassure herself that he was alive.

Serenity held her older brother's hand. "I'm glad you're okay, Joey."

"But who saved me?" Joey asked.

"He did," Tristan replied. "Take a look."

Joey looked up to see Yugi standing a few feet away.

"Yug'? Can't be him," Joey rationalized as he got up.

"I'm right here," Yugi replied while smiling, not a fearsome smirk displaying intent to inflict pain and suffering on the deserving, but simply the smile of a man happy to see his best friend again.

Joey was so excited he literally picked Yugi up off the ground and hugged him tight. "Holy shit, my man!" Joey shouted. "I can't believe you're back! This is freakin' sweet!"

"Nice to see you too," The Crow groaned. "Mind putting me down?"

Joey put Yugi down and released him. "I knew you were back!"

"Don't get too excited," Yugi warned grimly. "I'm back to get justice for my grandfather and myself."

"Yeah? Who did this to you?" Joey asked.

"It was Kaiba," Tristan replied. "He killed Yugi and Mr. Muto over that Blue-Eyes card he owned."

"He killed him and Grandpa because of a damn card?" Joey uttered, appalled by what he'd just heard. "What a piece of shit."

"I am going to kill him," Yugi vowed. "Make him suffer."

"I hope he goes to hell," Joey snarled.

The bird cawed to Yugi, warning him that it was time to leave. "I must go," Yugi said. "I will see you all again someday."

When Yugi was about to leave, Tristan stopped him. "Yug'?"

"What?" Yugi asked.

"I think one more person wants to see you," Tristan said. "Tea."

"Tea? What does she want with me?" Yugi asked, puzzled by what he'd just heard.

Tristan gave him a mischievous smirk. "You'll find out."

Mai put her hand on Yugi's shoulder and kissed him on his cheek. "Good luck, Yugi."

"Thanks, Mai," Yugi answered with a smile on his face.

Yugi left the parking lot while his crow flew to the sky. The police arrived at the bowling alley sometime later to arrest Bandit Keith, Funboy, and T-Bird.

Tea was watching the news about the fight that broke down at Flynn's. News reporter Anthony Rhodes was on the scene.

"A half hour ago, Joseph Wheeler was attacked by three men at Flynn's Bowling and Arcade," Anthony said. "The three assailants, 'Bandit' Keith Howard, Edward 'Funboy' O'Barr, and James 'T-Bird' Pressman attacked Mr. Wheeler outside of the bowling alley due to being expelled from high school some years ago. The victim's friends said the Crow Killer came out of nowhere and saved his life. For some reason, the three men were not murdered. Right now, Mr. Wheeler is being checked for injuries and the three men are being arrested for first degree assault and battery and attempted murder. As for the Crow Killer, he is still wanted for the vigilante murders all over the city. The police interviewed witnesses but they are still no closer to finding out his identity. This is Anthony Rhodes, back to you in the studio."

Tea shut off her television and was about to get ready for bed. It was then she saw a crow on her tree outside.

"Huh? What in the . . ."

As she stared at the bird, Tea saw an image of a familiar face in the window.

"Yugi?"

She turned around to see Yugi standing behind her.

"Yugi . . . is it really you?" she asked.

"Yes," Yugi replied somberly.

Tea quickly hugged The Crow tightly as she said, "I can't believe you're back."

Yugi hugged her back. "I am, but I won't be able to stay too long."

"But why?" Tea asked as she looked at him in his purple eyes.

"Because I came here on a mission," Yugi replied sadly. "That mission is to find and punish my and Grandpa's killers."

"Oh," Tea said sadly.

She looked away from him for a few seconds then looked at him again. It was time to get her feelings for Yugi out.

"What is it, Tea?" Yugi wondered.

"There was something I wanted to say to you for a long time," Tea replied.

"You can tell me," Yugi gently prompted.

Tea took a deep breath. "Yugi, I've loved you ever since we were kids. I tried to summon up the courage to tell you but . . ."

"I felt the same way," Yugi admitted. "In fact, when I was dying, the thing that made me saddest was that I'd never get to tell you how I felt."

"Then why did you run away from me?" Tea asked.

"Because I'm a monster," Yugi replied sadly. "And I didn't want that to be your last memory of me. Ever since I came back, I've been killing. Killing people who deserved it, but still killing . . . I don't even know how anyone could love me like this."

"But when I saw you, you were so sad," Tea said. "I know you are not a monster, Yugi. You're still the sweet and kind boy I knew from all those years ago."

"Look closely," The Crow whispered as he dropped his glamour, revealing the black-and-white Mask of Sorrow painted on his face. "This isn't the face you fell in love with."

Tea gently touched Yugi's face. "You have the same eyes. I can see that, even if you can't."

Tea leaned closer and kissed Yami Yugi. He felt the anger and sadness melt away from his mind thanks to her kiss. When they pulled away, they smiled at each other. Tea decided to take this new love to the bedroom.

"Follow me, Yugi," Tea ordered seductively, and walked to her room, her hips subtly swaying as she moved.

If not for the white-and-black face paint, Yugi Muto's blush would have been quite evident. "Well . . . I . . . uh, ha . . . wow."

Hypnotized by her newfound sexual side, Yugi followed Tea into the bedroom just before she closed the door behind them. Tea then pulled Yugi in for another kiss, this one deeper and even more passionate as her hands found their way into his multicolored hair. Yugi kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her slim waist as they moved closer to her bed. Tea fell back onto the bed, her short brown hair fanning out on the sheets as Yugi rested on top of her but carefully so as to not crush her with his weight.

"Yugi . . ."

Michael was filing his report about the incident at Flynn's. A few hours ago, he'd interviewed Yugi's friends about the attack and why it happened. When he asked them about The Crow's identity, they claimed they didn't know who he was. Det. Albrecht knew they knew more than what they were telling him. He grabbed the file from the Underwood/Raptor murders and looked at the crime scene photographs. Sgt. Corvis walked up to Michael's desk with some news.

"Det. Albrecht, I just got off the phone with a Duke Devlin," Sgt. Corvis said.

"Yeah, what does he want?" Det. Albrecht asked.

"He provided a pretty good tip for us, sir," Sgt. Corvis replied. "He told me the two dead dealers, Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood, worked for a notorious drug lord named Seto Kaiba."

"Is that a fact, Alex?" Det. Albrecht asked.

"Yeah," Sgt. Corvis said.

"At least that's something," Det. Albrecht said. "Question is why did The Crow kill those two kids who worked for Kaiba?"

"Should we go find those kids again?" Alex asked.

"Nah, that can wait until morning," Michael replied. "Right now, I'm tired. I'm goin' home and straight to bed. I know my father would've done the same thing."

"Daryl was one hell of a cop," Alex remarked.

"That he was, my friend," Michael said, grabbing his coat and keys. "Have a good night. Get some sleep, all right."

Kaiba and Mokuba watched the news about the assault at Flynn's, but Mokuba wasn't paying so much attention to the television. He was worried about his older brother. For the last day or so, Seto had been acting weird. He hadn't come to his little brother's room to tuck him into bed or bring him to school. His mind was elsewhere.

"Mokuba, time for you to go home," Seto ordered.

"But why?" Mokuba asked, hurt in his voice. "What did I do?"

"Nothing. I don't want you coming here anymore," Seto said.

"We haven't spent time together for the past year," Mokuba begged. "What is going on with you?"

"That's none of your business," Seto replied coldly. "Take this money for the bus and go home."

"Okay, big brother," Mokuba assented, shocked to hear his brother's tone of voice while he took the money.

Mokuba left his older brother's office as Judah Earl appeared on Kaiba's leather couch. "Thought the little runt would never leave," Judah said.

"Hey, he's my brother," Seto defended.

"So? I have some news for you, my friend," Judah replied.

"What is it?" Kaiba asked.

"The Crow revealed himself to his friends," Judah replied.

"We should go after his friends, it'll make him come after me, but he'll be too consumed with rage to see what sort of trap we've laid for him," Kaiba suggested.

"I've got an even better idea: We kidnap the woman he loves," Judah advised. "Tea Gardner."

"She'll be perfect," Kaiba agreed with a sadistic smirk. "When do we capture her?"

"In due time," Judah replied. "In the meantime, it's time we paid an old customer of yours, Duke Devlin, a visit."

"I'll have Panik on the job," Kaiba responded.

"Send Yugi back to the other side, and nothing will stop you from owning this city," Judah declared.

"I will deny him of his vengeance," Kaiba vowed. "He and his grandfather will be forever lost in limbo."

Skull Cowboy was right. Yami Yugi made the mistake of exposing his identity as The Crow to his friends and his new girlfriend. The unholy alliance of Seto Kaiba and Judah Earl was dead-set on going after those who were close to the man once known as Yugi Muto in life. Yugi's campaign for vengeance was in jeopardy.

To Be Continued...

Endnote: This ends chapter three of our dramasterpiece. (Yami) Yugi Muto's identity as The Crow is now known to Tea and the others, but it's a decision that now puts them in danger. How will our vigilante antihero protect them now that Kaiba and Judah are going after them? The drama is just gettin' started, my friends. Now that this chapter is done, I will now focus my time on chapter 3 of another story I'm workin' on with Rider Paladin, Punisher and Manslayer. That chapter will be finished up in the near future and will be put up on Rider's profile. Enjoy chapter 3 and we'll get back to the action in the next chapter. One more thing, I did some edits on the first two of this story. I changed the death date of Yugi and changed up Judah Earl's back story. If some of you are confused about the changes, then I am sorry. Until next time, hope you enjoyed your Valentine's Day.


End file.
